Japan, U.S. Agree to Enforce N. Korea Sanctions until Denuclearization

June 7, 2018

Washington- Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo agreed Wednesday to continue enforcing U.N. and other sanctions against North Korea until the country's denuclearization is complete.

In their meeting in Washington, the two ministers confirmed that Japan and the United States will continue to press for North Korea's complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization.

Kono told reporters after the meeting that he thinks that the United States will keep its existing sanctions on North Korea in place.

Asked about U.S. President Donald Trump's recent remarks that he does not want to use the term maximum pressure on North Korea anymore, Kono said he understands that this is a message asking Pyongyang to act to make fresh U.S. sanctions unnecessary.

Kono and Pompeo agreed to meet again after a planned summit on Tuesday between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The ministers agreed that Japan, the United States and South Korea will keep in close contact among them on North Korean issues.

Kono and Pompeo agreed that their countries will continue to cooperate in resolving the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese citizens.

They also agreed to call on Pyongyang to abandon its short- and medium-range missiles capable of reaching Japan.

The ministers also discussed a summit of leaders from the Group of Seven major countries set for Friday and Saturday in Canada. Jiji Press